SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 998 Title : Chrysants Author(s): David Purves Copyright holder(s): David Purves Text CHRYSANTS 1. Derk Dule: Ode of Confucius (ca.500 BC) 2. Sanctuary: Lu Chi (261-303) 3. Nichtfaw: Kennawha (ca.600) 4. The Waesum Fish: do, 5. Whit Ails Me: do. 6. Auld Brolach: Kao-Shih (ca. 700) 7. A Temple Veisit: Wang Wei (701-761) 8. Anaith the Muin: Li Po (701-762) 9. Drouthie Cronies: do 10. Lown Eild: Po Chü-I 11. Braw Burds frae the Bens: Chang Chi (8th century) 12. Nicht at Anchor: do. 13. The Caunil: Li Shang Yin (813-859) 14. Motion: Ssü-Kung T’u (834-908) 15. Quaeit Seil: do. 16. Set Free: do. 17. The Tao: do. 18. The Auld Battil Grund: Li Hua (ca.850) 19. A Sair Hert: Mei Yao Ch’en (1002-1060) 20. Ah Dreme Foraye: do. 21. Wrutten Whyle Fou: Su Tung P’o (1036-1101) 22. Epigram: do. 23. Daith: Fuyo-Dokai (1042-1107) 24. A Simmer’s Day: Li Ch’-ing-chao (1082-1144) 25. Lyfe: Daie-Soka (1089-1163) 26. The Clachan at Shansi: Lu Yu (1125-1209) 27. Ah Ryse at Dawin: Lu Yu (1125-1209) 28. Back at the Loch: Chang Hsiao-hsiang) (1134-1169) 29. Lest Lowp: Tendo-Nyojo (1163-1228) 30. Dule: Chu Shu Chen (ca. 1200) . *** DERK DULE The sun foraye is ful an bricht, the pale muin crynes doun ilka nicht an whitfor soud this be? Ma hert that aince wes fou o licht is lyke the dwynin muin this nicht an lyke ti die. But whan Ah dream o ye apairt, Ah howp the dawin wul heize ma hert, the sun ti see. *** From the Chinese of Lu Chi (261-303) SANCTUARY Ah tak horse afore the cock craws ti win til the monastery or the bell tolls at ein. The whuff o incense parfumes the lown air. The new muin gaes doun owre the forest edge This hame o men o peace an saucht is lent ti me, a siccar refuge or the dawin. * * * * Nae man wul follae me in days ti cum. alang the road Ah tak amang the trees, Anelie the blissit chantin o the monks wul echo throu the derkenin firs. *** From The Chinese of Kennawha (ca. 600) NICHTFAW At nichtfaw he lowpit in owre the hedge. At dawin, he opent the yett an gaed oot. He haes taen his pleisir an nou Ah dout, he thinks nae mair o me. *** From the Chinese of Kennawha (ca.600) THE WAESUM FISH The fish greits in the dried river bed. owre late he is waesum an vext that he plowtert his wey throu the shallaes, an nou he greins ti gae back again for ti wairn ither fishes. *** From the Chinese of Kennawha (ca. 600) WHIT AILS ME? Ah wunner whit ails me whitever? Wi aw the monie wycelyke men in the warld whitfor can Ah think anelie o you? *** From the Chinese of Kao-Shih (ca. 700) AULD BROLACH The war aince a Keing o Liang---a Keing o byuss micht--- wha kept an open pailace, whaur muisic chairmed the nicht--- Sen he wes laird o Liang, a thousan years haes flaen, o aw the touers he biggit yon rikkil stauns alane. Nou hings an awesum seilance; rank weeds throu winnoks growe, an doun the strachts o Liang, auld echoes dwyne an dowe. *** From the Chinese of Wang Wei (701-761) A TEMPLE VEISIT Myles aff the baeten trek is the temple, Ah im eftir. Ah graip amang the cloud-happit peaks an auncient wuids, whaur naebodie haes evir wun afore. Frae sum heich steid abuin, a tollin bell threips awa. A hieland burn kelters doun frae a touerin craig abuin. Bricht sunlicht glimmers throu the mukkil pines. At gloamin, bi a lown puil, Ah licht upon a hunkert monk his lane, in meditation, quaetlie slayin the puzzent draigon, aw fylit thocht, wi Zen, *** From the Chinese of Li Po (701-762) ANAITH THE MUIN Unner the crescent muin’s cauld lowe Ah hear the washerman’s bat dirdin on claes even on frae ferr awa an the Back End saur souchs cannilie. But ma hert gaes aye til the Tertar war cryin ma man back hame ti me *** From the Chinese of Li Po (701-762) DROUTHIE CRONIES We baith hae drunk thair health, aw thir braw Hieland flouers; a toast, a toast, anither toast an syne anither wi glesses heich. Ah im fair fou an lang ti sleep. Man, lat me be, for a wee--- Bring yeir lute an yeir lyre, aerlie the morn’s mornin! *** From the Chinese of Po Chü-I (772-846) LOWN EILD Owre an again the gowden sun gaes doun, the blue lift mirkils intil nicht, an as a cloud Ah reinge afore the wund. The warld’s speirit throu me dirls. Inouth ma breist nae dule can byde, tho ilk day daws on runkils an whyte hair: the taikens o the rowthness o ma years, an in the birkenshaw, ma lane, Ah dreme: sen lyfe an daith in cycles cums an gangs, gin Ah depairt, Ah’l kest nae gledge ahint, afore ma saul skails til Eternitie. *** From the Chinese of Chang Chi (8th century) BRAW BURDS FRAE THE BENS Whyte fethers lyke the glisterin silk. Thay roostit ilka nicht up in the tree bi oor houss end. The-nicht a monkey cam ti pick the chesnuts, an twa bi twa, thay flew awa for guid, airtin for the muin. *** From the Chinese of Chang Chi (8th century) NICHT AT ANCHOR The muin dounsets aince mair. Freist plenishes the haill lift. Maple leifs faw on the wattir. The fishermen’s fyres haud me wauken. Frae ayont Su Chou the midnicht bell jowes awa on Cauld Ben an raxes the lenth o ma wee bit boat. *** From the Chinese of Li Shang Yin (813-859) THE CAUNIL The caunil thraws derk shaidaes on the mither-o-paerl screen. Slawlie, slawlie, the haill galaxie faws doun the lift. The sterns gae oot. Quyne in the muin, ir ye no vext ye stale the herb o immortalitie, an nicht eftir nicht be weirdit for ti watch foraye the restless emerant sie, an the outlin sterns in the bounless lift? *** From the Chinese of Ssü-K’ung T’u (834-908) MOTION Frae the cawin wattir-wheel til the yird’s gret axis birlin aye anaith the ever-restless lift abuin Ah mell wi awthing inti nocht ayont the bounds o thocht an dreme rinkin the universe wi outlin spheres whas orbits lests a thousan years ti win the kie that fits ma theme. *** From the Chinese of Ssü K’ung T’u (834-908) QUAEIT SEIL It bydes in the deep seilence, unkent on ben an plain lippert bi tydeless harmonie, it toves wi the lanesum crane. As the springtyme saur whas flauchter the silken skirts haes blawn, as the wund-drawn note o the bamboo fluit whas chairm we wad mak oor awn, --- Chance-heard, it kyths ti yield; socht, an it wyles us ben; aye-showdin in maik an fantasie, it jouks us, an is gaen. *** From the Chinese of Ssü K’ung T’u (834-908) SET FREE Ah im browdent in flouers athout end. Ah’m an atom at random in space. The warld is the steid whaur Ah dreme. Ma saul’s in etherial naeplace. The taps o the swaws Ah touer ower, mang the wunds o the warld spreidin wyde. Ah im aw ane wi leimitless pouer, the haill universe reinged at ma syde. *** From the Chinese of Ssü K’ung T’u (834-908) THE TAO Ayont the rax o fashious thocht, lat us win in til the hert o awthing an thare haud fest foraye, fed frae an endless rowth! *** From the Chinese of Li Hua (ca. 850) THE AULD BATTIL GRUND This is the Border whaur the Han airmies forgethert, whaur thay maircht forfochen for thousans o wearie myles. Anaith the bounless lift thay’l never ken the day o thair return, but for aw, thay’r aye here, thair breists aye bare ti the peitiless steel an aw the unco gaws o war. Ah think Ah see thaim yit, a host o stoursell Tertar Warriors, waitin on us in the snell wund. Oor chieftain scorns the fae an we haud forrit. But Nature, hirsell, favors the Tertars wi a deidlie blizzard on thair galluss chairge. Oor men fecht til thair knees in snaw. Nae claes can keep oot sic nitherin cauld. Hands ir lyke deid an flesh freezes in the freist. Ti yield is ti becum a slave, ti fecht is but ti mell wi the desert sand foraye. Faintlyke nou, an waucher aye, dirds the drums, aw smeddum’s gaen, arraes aw spent an bou strings sindert. The dykes o the Auld Great Waw ir slaigert wi the bluid o monie a mither’s son. * * * * * Nae soun o flichterin burd nou frae thir links. Aw is still, binna the wund that yowls an skirls throu the lang nicht o the deid. The dwynin muin abuin aye skinkils on the freist that haps the frozent grund. *** From the Chinese of Mei Yao Ch’en (1002-1060) A SAIR HERT Heivin taen ma wyfe awa nou it haes taen ma son anaw. Ma een ir no alloued a dry brek It is owre mukkil for ma puir hert. Ah grein for daith. Whan the rain skails doun an draks intil the yird, whan a paerl faws richt doun til the bed o the sea, ye can aye dive in the sea an finnd the paerl, ye can howk in the yird an finnd the wattir. But naebodie haes ever cum back frae the Yallae Springs. Aince gaen, lyfe is owre for guid. Ma kist tichtens agin me. Nou Ah hae naebodie ti turn til, naething, no even a shaidae in a gless. *** From the Chinese of Mei Yao Ch’en (1002-1060) AH DREME FORAYE Aw throu the day Ah dreme Ah im wi hir. At nicht anaw, Ah dreme she’s bi ma syde. Eydent she cairries aye hir kit o culort threids. Ah see hir yit bent ower hir poke o silks. She redds an derns ma orra claes an fashes whyles, gin Ah micht kyth worn oot an duin. Tho deid an gaen foraye she watches ower the lave o ma lyfe. Hir maimorie even on, draws me til daith. *** From the Chinese of Su Tung P’o (1036-1101) WRUTTEN WHYLE FOU Blek clouds spreid ower the lift, ink-lyke. Ah can nae langir richt see the bens. Hailstanes stot frae the ruifs o the boats. A whurlwund soups oot frae the foreland but dwynes near doun til nocht bedein. Frae the paveilion, luikin ower the loch, the wattir is nou aw ane wi the lift. *** From the Chinese of Su Tung P’o (1036-1101) EPIGRAM Ah fish for littil menans in the loch. Juist born, thay hae nae fear o man, an thaim that haes lairnt thair lesson never cum back ti wairn the lave. *** From the Chinese of Fuyo-Dokai (1042-1107) DAITH Seiventie-sax: aw by an duin nou, wi this lyfe--- Ah haena socht a heivin, an fear nae hell ava. Ah’l lay thir banes o mynes, ayont the Thriepil Warld, unthirlt, unfasht. *** From the Chinese of Li Ch’ing-chao (1082-1144) A SIMMER’S DAY A gey dreich day this, wi rouk an cloud that claers awa wi wraiths o incense reik. Ti think midsummer’s day is by again an fowk suin say, ‘The nichts is drawin in!’ The rouk haed drak’t lest nicht throu drapes til bousters drouk’t wi cauld dew draps. The gloamin faws, beglaumert wi the scent, Ah dauner til the gairden fuit wi gless in haund, Seekin oot flouers whas parfume fills ma sleeves. But aye wi a sair hert for aw---! The wastlin wund micht kyth the muin an shaw the color o ma peilie chowks, faucher nor the yalla o chrysanthemums. *** From the Chinese of Daie-Soko (1089-1163) LYFE Lyfe is aye as we finnd it.---Daith anaw. Mebbe a bit pairtin poem? Ah winna threip on aboot it! *** From the Chinese of Lu Yu (1125-1210) THE CLACHAN AT SHANSI Dinna turn up yeir neb at the wersh wyne! The fermers brew nae better lyke, at the back end. At ither tymes, mynd, thay bring oot pigs an poutrie for ee. It’s no that easie for ti finnd the gait mang heichs an howes an breingin burns, But see, ayont yon flouers a clachan kyths! Yonder sum fowk an Spring is shuirlie here! In mainner, dress an couthie tung, thir kintrie fowk haud til thair auld weys. Frae nou on, gin Ah micht, Ah’l caw on thaim bi muinlicht, chap on thair doors. Aiblins, thay’l cry me ben for a cup an hae a crack. Whit mair nor this is’t aw aboot? *** From the Chinese of Lu Yu (1125-1209) AH RYSE AT DAWIN Whan yeir teeth ir duin ye canna growe new anes. Whan yeir hair faws oot ye canna plant it again. Ah ryse at dawin an regaird masell in the luikin gless. Ma gizz is runkilt, ma heid is gray an Ah im fou o peitie for masell. Ah’im waesum for the years that is gaen lyke skailt wattir. We canna mak nae mair o’t. Ah waucht a gless o the wyne an turn til ma buiks aince mair. * * * * * Back throu the centuries Ah reinge, athort thrie thousan year, ti veisit Shun an Yu the Gret, an Kue Lung, yon unco, namelie, randie skellum. Thair corps is lang murlt inti stour, but Ah can see thaim claerlie still. Whit dis it maitter? Thay leeve foraye in the mynd’s ee. Ma flesh, lyke thairs, wul weir awa wi tyme. *** From the Chinese of Chang Hsiao-hsiang (1134-1169) BACK AT THE LOCH Thrie year awa, an Ah’m here aince mair ti view the spring-tyme bewties o this loch! Blawn bi the aest wund in ma sail, Ah feel the whusper o the sauchs upon ma chowks. The’r naething lyke makkin yeir merk in lyfe ti gar ye feel at ease, whaure’er ye finnd yeirsell. The wattir at the boathouss bi the shore an aw the lift abuin, is nou yae blue. A hantil maws tak flicht up frae the shallaes an skraichin, flie awa ti whaur thay’d raither be. Ah wush ye aw weill; an nou fareweill! *** From the Chinese of Tendo-Nyojo (1163-1228) LEST LOWP Eftir saxtie-sax year getherin sins, Ah lowp inti hell— abuin Lyfe an Daith *** From the Chinese of Chu Shu Chen (ca.1200) DULE The pale muin leims doun frae abuin in the cauld lift o September. Whyte freist wyes doun the fulyerie, raxin ower the freezin wattir. Ma lane, forenent ma winnok the sair wecht o the passin days never lichtens, even for a wee, but Ah skreive awa at ma poems, syne chynge an redd thaim up an i the feinish, Ah thraw thaim awa. Gowden chrisants wuther alang the plettie. The skraichs o gangrel maws faws frae abuin * * * * Ah’m aw bi masell bi ma wundae. Ah’m dernt in ma tuim chaumer. Sae syne, Ah burn a pikkil incense, an dwaum in the reik ma lane. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience General public: Audience size: 100+ Text details Method of composition: Wordprocessed Year of composition: 2005 Title of original (if translation): Various Author of original (if translation): Various - see text for details Language of original (if translation): Chinese Word count: 2567 General description: Poetry collection Text medium Periodical/journal: Other: Some poems previously published in magazines Text publication details Published: Publisher: Various Part of larger text: Contained in: Some poems previously published in "Lallans", "Northwords", "Chapman" magazines Text setting Leisure/entertainment: Text type Poem/song/ballad: Author Author details Author id: 17 Forenames: David Surname: Purves Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1920 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Retired Biochemist Place of birth: Selkirk Region of birth: Selkirk Birthplace CSD dialect area: Slk Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Edinburgh Region of residence: Midlothian Residence CSD dialect area: midLoth Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Master Grocer Father's place of birth: Selkirk Father's region of birth: Selkirk Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Slk Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Housewife Mother's place of birth: Selkirk Mother's region of birth: Selkirk Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Slk Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: All circumstances Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: